AIB All Ireland Club Senior Hurling Semi-final
At Pairc Tailteann, Navan. Throw-in 1-30
Cushendall’s opponents in Sunday’s All Ireland semi-final, O’Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny, will certainly be battle hardened when they line out against the Ruairis at Pairc Tailteann.
After making their way through the league stages of the Kilkenny championship the Gaels took on Bennetsbridge in the semi-final, and were fancied to take the honours with a bit to spare, but it took a late goal from corner forward Owen Wall to get them over the line.
O’Loughlin Gaels 0-20 Shamrocks Ballyhale 0-19
At Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
Few gave them a chance in the Kilkenny final against what is widely regarded as the greatest club team in hurling history, Ballyhalte Shamrocks. The reigning Leinster and All Ireland champions were expected to make it through again in the final at Nowlan Park, but backed by rock solid defence, in which All Stars Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor and Paddy Deegan were superb, the city side, who were appearing in their second final in three years, caused an upset.
Led brilliantly by team captain Mark Bergin O’Loughlin’s made a great start and were four points up inside eight minutes, though Ballyhale fought their way back to trail by just a point at half time.
Shamrocks went into the lead for the first time in the opening minute of the second half through Eoin Cody but slowly by surely, the O’Loughlin’s defence began to get on top.
It was score for score in a thrilling second half, and when Colin Fennelly edged the Ballyhale men in front near the end it all appeared to be falling into place for the Shamrocks. However O’Loughlin’s were not to be denied this team and a David Foggarty point brought them level before centre back Paddy Deegan sent over the winner to spark scenes of great celebration.
Leinster Hurling Championship quarter final
O’Loughlin Gaels 2-16 Mount Leinster Rangers 0-13
At Dr Cullen Park, Carlow
Carlow champions Mount Lenister Rangers were disposed of effectively in the Leinster quarter final, though the Carlow men did stage a comeback in the second half. Trailing by 1-10 t 0-4 at half time it seemed like one way traffic, but Mount Leinster battled back to close within four points after a great twenty minutes hurling, only to see their chance snatched away from them by O’Loughlins substitute Luke Hogan who fired in a 56th minute goal.
O’Loughlin Gaels 0-17 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-12
At Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore
New kids on the block Kilcormac Killoughy of Offaly were the semi-final opponents in Leinster and despite shooting a series of bad wides the Kilkenny champions still dominated the opening half, at the end of which they held an 0-10 to 0-3 lead at half time.
With the wind behind them in the second half the Offaly men showed a marked improvement and with ten minutes remaining they had closed the gap to two points, 0-14 to 0-12. There were a few nervous looking fans among the O’Loughlin followers, but the men on the field never panicked and added three unanswered points to seal a provincial final place against new Dublin champions NaFianna in Croke Park.
O’Loughlin Gaels 0-22 Na Fianna 1-18
At Croke Park, Dublin
Few team captains have led their team as well as O’Loughlin’s Mark Bergin. in the Leinster final against Na Fianna he excelled, not only scoring 11 points overall, but adding and injury time winner to set up Sunday’s meeting with Cushendall.
Having won their first Dublin title a couple of weeks beforehand Na Fianna were outsiders going into this game, but they showed that they are a match for any team on their day and they pushed the Kilkenny champions all the way in a highly entertaining contest.
Good as Bergin was in this thrilling game, the Man of the Match award went to team mate Paddy Deegan who led the team brilliantly from centre back, scoring five points from play. O’Loughlin Gaels led by 0-11 to 0-9 at the interval after a well contested opening half. The sides were level six times during a pulsating second-half with Sean Currie’s 38th minute goal for Na Fianna giving them real hope. It looked anyone’s game when the Dublin side drew level with just two minutes left to play, but Bergin proved the hero once again by slotting over the winning point as the game entered injury time to set up Sunday’s meeting with Ulster champions Cushendall.
Cushendall’s path has been well documented on the site, their win over Loughgiel after a thrilling finish in the Antrim final at Corrigan Park. For most of the that game they were on top and looked tlike they had it all wrapped up with a bit to spare, but James McNaughton’s late goal almost caught them on the line.
If the Ruari Og fand thought it was hard going through those breathaking final minutes at Corrigan Park it was nothing compared to what they had to endure three weeks later in Armagh, when they faced Down champions Portaferry. Going into injury time they trailled the Ards men by four points, and there were very few, if any, in the maroon colours that day who would have given them a chance. Very few that is except Neil McManus who kept his cool and somehow plotted a way out of it with a spectacular late goal and a point to take the game to extra time, which they won convincingly.
For the most part the win over Slaughtneil in the final in Newry was plain sailing, the Derry champions eleven week lay-off leaving them ill prepared and nowhere near their best. Cushendall produced some of thier best form of the year that day and are in good shape going into the semi-final.
On Sunday there will need to be even better if they are to compete with a battled hardened O’Loughlin team who have scored freely and defended doggedly throughout the campaign. A good section of the Cushendall team has played in Navan and the last time the team played their in 2016 it could not have gone better for them. They face a tough challenge, but they have the men to do the job, if they get an even share of the breaks on the day.
It may well come down to a scoring battle between two auld lads who have served their clubs so well for so long, Cushendall’s Neil McManus and O’Loughglin’s Mark Bergin.
Neil McManus, (seen here against Slaughtneill two weeks ago), and Mark Bergin, (seen here in the 2011 club final between O’Loughglin’s and Clarinbridge) are still delivering the goods for their clubs
The likely starting line-ups
CUSHENDALL: Conor McAllister; Paddy Burke, Liam Gillan, Martin Burke; Stephen Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Conor McCollam; Fred McCurry, Ryan McCambridge; Ronan McAteer, Neil McManus, Fergus McCambridge; Ed McQuillan, Niall McCormack, Joseph McLaughlin .
O’LOUGHLIN GAELS: Stephen Murphy; Tony Forristal, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler; David Fogarty, Paddy Deegan, Jordan Molloy; Jack Nolan, Cian Loy; Conor Heary, Mark Bergin, Eoin O’Shea; Paddy Butler, Owen Wall, Sean Bolger.